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The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (NP or CNS) will operate as a licensed and skilled practitioner in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic psychiatric and substance use disorders. The APRN in this position must hold ANCC certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Care and have DEA licensure with prescriptive authority. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate State-accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement of graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. OR The completion of coursework equivalent to a nursing degree in a MSN Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration constitutes the completion of an approved course of study of professional nursing. Students should submit the certificate of professional nursing to sit for the NCLEX to the VA along with a copy of the MSN transcript. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6) OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Preferred Experience: Inpatient Mental Health Experience Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates, and if appropriate, the level within a grade: Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience. Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required. Nurse III - Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience. Note regarding MSN degrees: If your MSN was obtained via a Bridge Program that qualifies for professional nursing registration, a BSN is not required. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-6 Nurse Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: This position requires Heavy Lifting, 45 pounds & over; heavy carrying, 45 pounds& over; straight pulling (4 hours); pushing (4 hours); use of fingers; both hands required; walking & standing 8-12 hours; repeated bending 8 hours; both legs required; ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aide permitted). Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. ["VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards **This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCMENT and will remain open until September 29, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be March 29, 2023. After that time, qualified candidates will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. Responsibilities of the APRN include performing initial psychiatric and physical evaluations, ordering and interpreting necessary diagnostic tests and labs, formulating diagnosis(es) and instituting treatment including psychopharmacologic and psychological interventions to manage psychiatric and/or substance use patients in the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System on the inpatient Mental Health Unit (MHU). The APRN will also serve as consultant on the medical and surgical services inpatient with psychiatric/substance use needs. The APRN assesses and prioritizes patient care problems and formulates treatment plans tailored to the individual needs of the patient. This position is located within the Behavioral Medicine team as part of Mental Health Services. Integrated health services are provided in this setting in coordination with psychology, social work, pharmacy, and psychiatry. As a clinician, the Psychiatric Advance Practice Registered Nurse (NP or CNS) provides comprehensive mental health treatment for inpatients. The incumbent must possess the clinical skills to provide treatment for acute and/or chronic serious mental health disorders, as well as addictions. The clinical duties of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse include but are not limited to the following and are applicable in the MHU program: (a) Assessment, diagnose and formulation of treatment plans. (b) Order and interpret lab(s) and diagnostic images or test (c) Prescribing psychotropic medications (d) Referring to specialty services (e) Consulting with other health care providers as needed. (f) Maintaining knowledge of current treatment approaches and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars, teleconferences, and materials provided by staff/Mental Health Service. (g) Completing work including documentation and clinical reminders in accordance with VASNHCS goals. Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Nights, Weekends, Holidays Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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